The Tiffany Telegram: February 25, 2022
Dear Friend,
For nearly two years now the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has been collecting data on COVID-19 and publishing guidance supposedly based on the findings from that data. However, it recently came to light that the CDC has been withholding a mountain of data from the American people – releasing only the cherry-picked datathat supports its narrative.
In November, Dr. Anthony Fauci admitted that the CDC was withholding data on breakthrough infections – infections occurring in vaccinated individuals. Meanwhile, the President was busy blaming Americans who opted not to get the jab as the reason for the spike in cases.
The CDC's habit of withholding information became even more evident after they released data on booster shots, which conveniently failed to provide hospitalization data for people under 50. That data showed that the booster shots were least likely to benefit younger adults.
This week Johns Hopkins School of Medicine Professor Dr. Marty Makary responded to the revelation by stating that the CDC is guilty of "using science as political propaganda." The federal health agency continues to defend its actions stating that the data is withheld, in part, because officials fear that the public would "misinterpret" the findings.
Hiding data is only one piece of the political shell game being played by the CDC. As Telegram readers know, I've been concerned about the long term impact the pandemic would have on our children's educational attainment and mental health.
This week the CDC quietly lowered the developmental milestones for toddlers. However, it didn't go unnoticed as local speech pathologists and concerned parents started questioning whether the sudden drop – the first change in 18 years – proves the harmful impacts of pandemic mandates and restrictions on children's learning.
We have a lot more to tell you in this week's edition of TheTiffany Telegram and we appreciate you starting off your weekend with us!
Sincerely,
Tom Tiffany
Member of Congress
Biden's failed energy policies at home fuel catastrophe in Ukraine
It goes without saying that what Vladimir Putin is doing in Ukraine is wrong and should be condemned by the entire world. But we must be clear eyed about the mistakes made here at home that led to these events. For more than a year, President Biden's domestic policies have made Americans poorer while enriching Vladimir Putin's regime. Since his first day in office, President Biden has strangled American energy producers – weakening us at home, emboldening our adversaries overseas, and making the world far less safe. We are now seeing the consequences of those policies in real time. The bottom line: Weakness leads to war. Restoring American credibility and respect on the world stage starts with getting our own house in order. I am committed to reversing the counter-productive, anti-American energy policies that have been put in place over the last year. That includes reversing President Biden's effort to halt oil and gas leasing on federal lands, and his shutdown of the Keystone XL pipeline. This week I also joined my colleague Rep. David McKinley (WV-01) in calling for the full utilization of America's energy and mineral resources to revitalize our economy. This will help us bring down prices, create good family-wage jobs, and restore America's ability to negotiate from a position of strength in global affairs. The best way to enhance American national security is to restore American energy security.
End the Capitol lockdown
This week I joined my colleague Ralph Norman (SC-05) in once again demanding that Speaker Pelosi reopen the U.S. Capitol. For too long, the American people have been effectively barred from entering their own Capitol building – unable to personally share their views and concerns with the people who represent them face-to-face. If lawmakers can gather in our nation's capital, the people who sent us here ought to be able to do so as well. Telegram readers know that last week I sent a letter to the Speaker on the topic. This week, I went further, signing on to legislation that would restore public access to Capitol Complex buildings. You can read more about the bill here.
Re-victimizing victims of crime
It seems like every week there is a new example of victims of crime being re-victimized by soft-on-crime policies. This week was no exception, as news outlets reported the case of a 26-year-old California child molester called Hannah Tubbs. Tubbs was tried as a minor for molesting a 10-year-old girl in 2014, instead of as an adult. During a jailhouse call, Tubbs was recorded boasting that "nothing" would happen as a result of the crime. "I won't have to register, won't have to do nothing," Tubbs bragged. Unfortunately, as we have seen so many times before, predators have become more brazen in many jurisdictions where they know DA's simply won't hold them to account. We've seen the same phenomenon closer to home. As Telegram readers may recall, we told you recently about Milwaukee District Attorney John Chisholm openly admitting that his policies would result in tragedy. "Is there going to be an individual I divert, or I put into treatment program, who's going to go out and kill somebody? You bet. Guaranteed. It's guaranteed to happen." Its no coincidence that this approach to criminal justice has fueled a historic spike in violence and drug overdoses. I co-introduced legislation earlier this year to stiffen penalties for drug traffickers, but there is much more to do. Americans expect their leaders to keep their communities safe and put career criminals where they belong: Behind bars.
Recent Legislation
Protecting the future of farming
This week I plan to introduce the Future Agriculture Retention and Management Act – or FARM Act for short. This legislation would eliminate energy tax incentives that help finance solar and wind "farms" on productive agricultural lands, often permanently taking these lands out of production. These misguided energy "tax credits" force taxpayers to underwrite generous "green energy" giveaways. These giveaways in turn allow power companies to tap the public treasury to subsidize solar and wind projects, undermining rural communities and posing a long-term threat to food security. The agriculture sector is a tried-and-true contributor to economic growth and prosperity. They are also the bedrock of our rural communities. Taxpayers should not be on the hook for transforming prime agricultural land into unreliable wind and solar farms. The FARM Act will get taxpayers out of the business of financing farm-threatening, ‘green energy' boondoggles.
Ending mask mandates
It is time to end government-imposed mask mandates. Period. This week I joined several of my colleagues in introducing two pieces of legislation designed to roll them back. The first would roll back the mask mandates imposed on public transportation conveyances, and the second would rescind the mandates forced on air travelers. It's been months since the heads of major airlines admitted that masks do little if anything to protect the passengers from COVID-19. Yet the Biden administration continues to enforce these mandates – even as pro-mask public officials routinely get caught ignoring them. The good news is that state governors and mayors have increasingly moved to scrap these unnecessary rules as a growing number of Americans demand a return to normalcy and breathe a little easier. It's long past time for the federal government to follow suit.
Rationing life-saving care?
Last year, the Biden Administration's Department of Health and Human Services announced that they would begin rationing care by taking complete control of the distribution of life-saving monoclonal antibody (mAbs) treatments. Prior to the Biden Administration taking over states, infusion sites, and other healthcare centers had the ability to order mAbs directly from manufacturers. The rationing of mAbs by the federal government has negatively impacteda number of states, which suddenly saw their supply cut off by the federal government. This week I signed on to the house companion of Senator Cruz's Medical Freedom Bill, which would prohibit the federal government from prioritizing federal contracts over states when purchasing COVID-19 supplies and prevents the federal government from rationing or restricting access from any emergency use drug.
District Update
This week while southern Wisconsin was getting sleet and freezing rain, we saw lots of snow across northern Wisconsin – with some areas seeing more than 30 inches of snow over two days.
Good News from Wisconsin's 7th District
Treeland Resort
Happy 70th birthday and retirement to Treeland Resort's Cheryl Treland—enjoy this next chapter!
State Wrestling
Good luck to the Amery wrestling team as they send 9 people to state this weekend! Also, congratulations to the 4 individuals who were named sectional champions this past weekend!
DNR Stamp Winner
Congratulations to Bob Metropulos from Minocqua for winning the 2022 Wisconsin Turkey Hunting Stamp DesignContest!